Mail-box support



April 8, 1930. A. w. FLoRlNE MAIL BOX SUPPORT Filed May 26, 1928 Patented Apr. 1930 i UNITED STA PATENT OFFICE Ammann ma any se, 192s. serial No. 280,797;

This invention relates in general to supports and more particularly to improved support for rural mail boxes and the like.

While the device of this invention is demounted at a roadside, and to soconstruct the device that when struck by passing vehicles the container itself will be readily displaced to one side and again returned to normal position without damage to the supporting device or container.

With this end in view the principal objects and advantages of this invention reside 1n the provision o an improved support, in-

cluding a displaceable portion and means for maintaining said displaceable portion normally in a predetermlned position; the provision in a support of relative movable por-- tions, in combination with means for causing said movable portions to normally take a predetermined position by permittlng relaative movements of the parts within predetermined limits; the provision of a supporting standerd including a stationary base portion and a rotatably displaceable top portion and means for normally maintaining said portions in predetermined relationship; the provision, in a support for containers, of a supporting standard, a rotatably displace-v able arm on the standa'rd and a connection between the arm and standard which causes said arm to normally extend laterallypin a redetermined direction, but which permits displacement of said arm through a horizontal plane within predetermined limits; the provision of a supporting device fo'r a mail box or the like inc uding a base standard adapted to be fixed in a desired position along the roadside and including a horizontally displaceable u per portion or supporting arm which is a apted to normally extend toward the roadway, but is provided with means permitting of its temporary displace- 60 ment away from the roadway; the provision of a supportin device of the chaarcter referred to whic is unitary in construction and may be manufactured at low cost and is sturdy, and will withstand the numerous shocks and blows which such devices are sub- ]ected to in service.

The foregoing and such other objects and advantages asmay appear or be pointed out as thls descri tion proceeds are attained in the structure i lustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: p

Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of a device of my invention;

Flgure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevatlonal view of the joint;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in i the direction indicated by the arrows;

- Flgure 4" is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 o f Figure 2, looln'ng 1n the dlrection indicated by the arrows.

Referring now more particularly lto the drawmg, and first to Figure 1, the device of this'invention includes the base standard or supportlng post 5, having its lower end suitably fixed in the earth 6 by the provision of a concrete or other base 7.

The standard or post 5 is a tubular member such as a piece of ordinary two inch iron pipe and 1s provided near its upper end with transverse alined apertures for receiving a retaining bolt 8 by which the upper portion of the support indicated at v9 may be attached to the base 5.

The upper portion 9 is similarly a length of pipe likethe standard 5 and of substanti ally the same diameter, as will hereafter appear, this upper portion 9 being arched as at l0 and attened as at 11 toform support for a conventional mail box or the like 12. 'In the assembly of the parts 5 and 9, the arm 10 is intended to normally project toward a roadway so as to render it convenient for the rural mail carrier to deposit mail in the.

box 12.

The parts 5 and 9 are relatively rotatably connected so that the mail boxand arm 10 may swing in a horizontal plane through substantially 180 in either direction away from the roadway, in the event that a passin vehicle-strikes the mailbox.

he connection between the parts 9 and 5 is best shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, and includes a member 13 aliixed to the pipe section 5 by the provision of an auxiliary reinforcing internal pipe section 14, held in a position on the ,standard- 5 by the provision of the bolt 8 hereinabove referred to. The member 13 is riveted or otherwise secured to the inner pipe 14, as indicated at 15, and is annularly internally recessed as at 1 6 to receive the lower end of the upper section 9, which latter receives the upper part`17 of the auxiliary ipe section 14, so as to form a reinforcing caring forthe rotatable upper part 9.

The upper portion 9 carries a connecting member 18 complemental to the member 13 and riveted or otherwise secured as at 19 to the upper section 9.

The members 13 and 18 are in rotative abutting relation as at 20, the'upper member being rotatableupon the shoulder thus formed by the lower member 13.

In order that the member 13 and 18, and, therefore, the members 5 and 9, will assume a normal predetermined position, the cylindrical wall 21 of the member 13 is provided with a substantially V-sha ed recess 22 forming opposed camming sur aces 23 and `24, andthe opposite outer ends of said camming surfaces terminate in laterally disposed lugs 25 and 26, adjacent the shoulder at the top of the member 13.

The member 18 is complementally provided 'with a substantially V-shaped tongue 28, which'is adapted to en age and seat in the recess 22 and engage an move upwardly along one or faces 23 and 24 when the upper portion 9 is rotated. The tongue 28 is provided with a radially proj ectin lug 29, and, when the porT tion 9 is rotated rom the position shown in Figure 2 to a position 90 in respect thereto in either direction in a horizontal plane, said lug 29-will engage one or the other of thel lugs 25 and 26, and thus limit the rotation of said sectiony 9 and the lateral horizontal displacement of the arched arm 10.

Ordinarily, the weight ofthe mail box and the upper portion 9 are suilicient to return the arm 9 to a position projecting toward the roadway, but as this device is subjected t the elements and as substantially little lubrication is provided, I find it desirable to enhance the action of gra 'ty by supplementing it with ay coiled spring 30, which latter has one end secured to a transverse pin- 31 in the section 9 and the other end secured to a pin 32 in the inner pipe section 14, and normally exerting a downward pull on the upper section 9. y

It will be observed that when the mail box is struck by a passing vehicle or displaced the other of the camming sur-- fthe` not return to the normal position projecting v in the predetermined ldirection desired. t It will be further observed that for the purpose of adjusting the mail box as t0 height, the bolt 8 may be removed and the inner pipe 414 raised and the bolt inserted in another opening therein.- This may be accomplished without materially weakening the structure. Y

Having thus des illustrated its use, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a support, a pair of relatively rotat-v able axially alined members adapted to be arranged in a vertical position, a bearing cribed m invention and.

member carried by one of said rotatable meml bers and having a recess therein provided with 'angularlyA related cam surfaces, 'and a second bearing member carried by the other of said axially alined members and provided Awith a projecting portion lying in said recess and co-operating with the surfaces thereof whereby upon relative rotation ofthe axially alined members, be caused to rise, and stop means for limiting the degree ofrelative rotative displacement of 'said axially alined members, .and spring means tending to draw said relative rotatable elements toward each other and to seat said projection in said recess.

2. In a support, a pair of relatively rotatable axially alined tubular members adapted to be arranged in ai vertical position, a bearing member carried by one of said rotatable members and having a recess therein one of the latter willA rovided with angularly related cam sur-4 aces,A and a second bearin member carried by the other of said axia y alined tubularl members and provided withv a projecting portion lyin in said recess and co-operatng with the sur aces thereof whereby u on relative rotation of the axially aline tubular members, one of the latter will be caused to rise, and stop means forlmiting the degree of relative rotative displacement of said axially alined tubular members, and one of said axially alined tubular members being extended to lie within the other of said members whereby to form a reinforcing bearing therefor.

3. `In a support, a jair of relatively rotatable axially alined tu ular members adapted to be arranged in a vertical position, a bearing member carried by one of said rotable members and having a` recess therein provided with angularly related cam surfaces, and a second bearing member carried by the other of said axially alined tubular members and provided with a projecting portion lyingv bers whereby to form a reinforcing bearingtherefor.

In testimony whereof,A I have hereunto signed my name. y

AUGUST W. FLORINE.

of relative rotative axially alined tubular l 

